Prevent Caregiver Burnout by Staying Social

Let’s be genuine: providing care for a senior can become tiring, overwhelming, isolating and lead one on a path to caregiver burnout. When caregiving requirements advance, particularly when a long-term disease like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease is at play, family care providers might feel that they’re in over their heads, and getting through the most basic tasks of the day – showering, cooking food, taking care of errands – can seem to be a hurdle too big to leap.

As stated by Carey Wexler Sherman, a gerontologist at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, “Caregiving is done with a lot of love and affection, but there’s a lot of loss involved. People talk about friends disappearing, about even family members not wanting to be involved. It’s a lonely business.”

As a result, quite a few family caregivers have been found to sequester themselves. It is hard to arrange social excursions without knowing what kind of day Mom or Dad may be confronting. It is likewise difficult to invite friends over and face the potential need to cancel plans at the last minute. Sometimes it just seems easier to attempt to take care of everything on your own. Senior geriatric social worker at Massachusetts General Hospital, Barbara Moscowitz, shares comments she hears from family members looking after a senior with dementia: “They say, ‘I’m exhausted trying to explain to people why she’s doing what she’s doing, why they shouldn’t be angry or afraid. It’s just easier to stay home.”

Nevertheless, we know that social isolation and loneliness are linked to significant health risks: heart disease, stroke, depression, and also a greater prevalence of developing dementia or dying early. Caregiver support is a must, both for the loved one being cared for and the family members delivering that care.

All Care In-Home Care Solutions of Oregon's Rogue Valley is on hand to help in so many ways, through hands-on help with all facets of elder caregiving, meal preparation, keeping the house clean, running errands, and so much more – permitting family members much-needed time to themselves to spend with friends and in enjoyable, relaxing activities – ensuring caregiver burnout doesn't happen.

Give us a call at (541) 857-9195 any time for the professional in-home care help you can trust, providing you the chance to attain a healthy life balance while knowing your senior loved one is in the very best hands.